We got our first look at Wolfenstein at last year's QuakeCon, and everything seemed in order. Nazis, guns, supernatural powers--expect all of the standard Wolfenstein trappings, along with a new Veil mechanic, which allows hero B.J. Blazkowicz to use various special powers.
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We're still waiting on the rest of those class updates, and according to Valve, the Scout is on-deck for the next treatment. No doubt we'll also see some new maps--and, hopefully, the much-needed release of DLC on the Xbox 360 version.

Along with Team Fortress 2, Valve's zombie shooter provided some of the best PC multiplayer gaming of 2008--which is why we're looking forward to the content updates nearly as much as any other full game. New scenarios will be an obvious boost to the server cycle, and Versus support for Dead Air and Death Toll will make for a welcome addition.

Formerly known as Sabotage, Velvet Assassin is a stealth-based World War II title inspired by actual British spy Violette Szabo. This one promises to buck the action-packed WWII trend and provide a stylish, unique atmosphere in which to dispatch Nazis.

The first of three micro-expansions to last year's cult strategy hit Sins of a Solar Empire will help PC gamers ring in the new year. Entrenchment promises to be self-descriptive, adding starbases that will allow players to more easily defend planets.

The over-the-top, open-world action series Just Cause is continued in this sequel. According to reports, the AI has been greatly improved over the original, while the setting has been shifted to a fictional island in Southeast Asia.

2008 brought the big news that StarCraft II wouldn't be StarCraft II at all, but rather a trilogy of games, each centering around one of the series' three races. While release dates are still up in the air, we wouldn't be surprised to finally have our hands on the first Terran-centric installment--or at least the multiplayer beta--by late 2009.
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Little is known of BioShock 2--only that series creator Ken Levine is not very much involved in development, and that it will be coming out in the third quarter of 2009. It's also subtitled "Sea of Dreams." Mysterious.
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Warsaw-based developer Metropolis Software--recently acquired by The Witcher developers CD Projekt--is set to release its first major project with THEY, a first person shooter set in the apocalyptic year of 2012. Centering around the invasion of Earth by mysterious robots, Metropolis claims the game will provide nearly 20 hours of gameplay.

Cities such as Metropolis and Gotham City will provide the backdrop for this MMO version of the DC Universe. Joining either the Justice League or the Legion of Doom, players will be able to participate in dynamically-generated quests, with heroes and villains clashing in the midst of larger events.

Will Wright's divisive title Spore will see its first full expansion in 2009 with Galactic Adventures. The expansion will allow players to explore new planets with their creatures, as well as design custom Adventure missions for other users to play through.

The next military simulator from the original Operation Flashpoint developers, ArmA 2 is set to incorporate new RPG elements to the series, with in-game events impacting the overall campaign. 73 weapons and 167 vehicles will arm players as they fight against unpredictable, AI-powered squads.

Codemasters is continuing the Operation Flashpoint series with this sequel. The scenario involves a hostile China attempting to wrest control of Skira Island from Russia, with the US interceding. A physics-accurate ballistics engine will ensure that over 70 weapons all cause destruction realistically. Multiplayer will support up to 32 players on the PC, with up to 100 AI-controlled NPCs.

From City of Heroes/Villains developer Cryptic Studios comes this new superhero MMO. Players will not be limited by a specific class or archetype, and will have plenty of freedom to customize characters--from the hero's movement, to his or her backstory. You can also apparently fight raptors--a minimum requirement for any great MMO.

id Software's first original project in years, Rage represents new ground for the company, stylistically and technologically speaking. Set in a post-apocalyptic future, a key component of the game will be centered around the player's vehicle, which players will use to both race and travel. id will also incorporate traditional FPS gameplay in dungeon-like sequences. We're not sure when it's coming out, but it may well squeak into the end of 2009.
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Could this be a Batman game worth playing? Based on the comics, Rocksteady's Arkham Asylum certainly looks stylish--and with Animated Series writer Paul Dini on board, and voice actors Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy signed up, the presentation is a lock.
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Could this be a Ghostbusters game worth playing? All the Ghostbusters team voice talent is on board, and the script was written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis--so again, it all looks good on paper. Players will take on the role of a new recruit, and will no doubt be taken through a "don't cross the streams" tutorial.

Jonathan Blow's lauded XBLA title hits the PC early in 2009, bringing the time-shifting platformer to a new audience. Endlessly acclaimed for its innovative, elegant design, Braid should make it to the new platform by March at the latest.

This open-world action title is set in a modern urban landscape, featuring a hero that can shapeshift and absorb his enemies' powers. Parkour-style acrobatics from a third-person camera make this project a blend of Crackdown, Assassin's Creed and Mirror's Edge.

Designed by Grand Theft Auto and Crackdown creator Dave Jones, APB presents the typical cops vs. robbers scenario, but in an MMO setting. Players will choose between two sides: the Gangs or the Law Enforcement. From there, it's a skill-based effort to deny the other side by either robbing the banks or attempting to crack down on the gangs.

Storm of War: Battle of BritainMaddox Games
PC
Q2 2009

Looking for a flight sim fix? Developed by Oleg Maddox--creator of the renowned IL2-Sturmovik sim series--Storm of War might be your best bet this year. Utilizing a new 3D engine, Maddox looks to provide some stunning airplane models in its effort to recreate the historic Battle of Britain.

The sequel to 2007's unique action title, Overlord II is said to greatly increase the scope of the minion-based gameplay. New AI routines will allow the minions to perform actions such as riding mounts, while the control scheme has supposedly been improved overall.

Recently named Best Korean Game of the Year, NCSoft's newest MMO is based in a fantasy world where two playable races inhabit a lower and upper plane--one dark, one light. Clearly inspired by heaven and hell, all characters will have the ability to fly by way of angelic wings, allowing for expedient exploration of the ethereal landscapes.

A new RPG from some of the guys responsible for other great RPGs, there's a lot of expectation going along with the release of Alpha Protocol. The game centers around a CIA field agent, and will include plenty of branching dialogue and third-person espionage.
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It's been a long time coming, but the meticulous fan-made graphical update of Half-Life is nearing completion. With a shiny new trailer under its arm, the Black Mesa Team looks poised to finally release the product of its considerable labors this year.
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Continuing the Red Faction series' trademark of destructible environments/geometry, Guerrilla will shift the series to a third-person viewpoint. Set 50 years after the events of the first Red Faction, the game will largely take place on Mars. A multiplayer component will offer the typical Team DM and CTF modes.

A four-player co-op Aliens game, with a story by Battlestar Galactica writers, represents a very promising concept. This exciting game is still slated for 2009, though if recent rumors prove true, it may be delayed beyond its target of a summer release.

Not to be confused with Sabotage--the now-renamed Velvet Assassin--Saboteur is another World War II game with an unconventional angle. Based on French war hero William Grover-Williams, the game will see the player singlehandedly taking on the Nazis in an open-world setting.

Stardock has teamed with Gas Powered Games to release their own flavor of DotA--that competitive strategy mod for WarCraft III. In Demigod, users will command giant monsters in an RTS setting, using special powers and commanding NPC minions to tip the scale of battle in their favor.

Hiroshi Takai's RPG has already been released on the Xbox 360, to largely mixed reviews. The game makes its way to the PC in the spring--hopefully lacking the graphical glitches that plagued the original release.

Set in the 1940s and 50s, the sequel to Mafia will take place in Empire City, a fictional mobster playground based on San Francisco and New York. Boasting a screenplay twice the size of the original game's, Mafia II will feature over 2 hours of in-game cutscenes, continuing the first game's storytelling ambition.
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Frozenbyte's attractive fantasy platformer is a bit of a throwback. Players choose from three archetypal classes--the Wizard, Thief, and Warrior--each specializing in agility, puzzle solving, and strength, respectively. Physics will also factor into the gameplay in ways that become obvious upon viewing the trailer below.
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This free-to-play PC strategy game from Petroglyph--developers of Star Wars: Empire at War--will be entirely supported by micro-transactions. The game is said to include the "best elements of action, strategy and RPG game-play with a heavy emphasis on collectability and combat."

The sequel to NetDevil's PC space-action MMO Jumpgate Evolution will make its way to stores this spring. The game is set to bring new graphics, AI tweaks, a redesigned user interface and other improvements to the base gameplay of the original 2001 title.

Starbreeze's update/enhancement of the original Riddick will also include a significant amount of new content--some ten hours of new missions, according to the developer. A new multiplayer mode will also come packed in with the impressive package.

Outerlight's follow-up to The Ship: Murder Party is on its way, and will likely make an appearance in 2009. While we don't have any hard details on the project, this one is rumored to be titled Hollywood Murder Party--which sounds right up Outerlight's alley.

What else is left to say of 3D Realms' consistently unreleased title? We have to assume we'll see a finished product by the end of this year. Then again, that's what we said last year. Oh brother.
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We know we missed something. Let us know, and discuss your most anticipated games, in the comments.